Handcrafted Mexican Molinillo Drink Mixer

This is a Mexican wooden whisk called a molinillo.  It is a traditional utensil used to mix and create a froth or foam on hot beverages like hot chocolate, atole, and champurrado.  The whisk is typically made from a single piece of wood, often alder, pine, or mesquite, that is turned and carved by artisans.  To use it, the handle is held between the palms of both hands and rotated back and forth in a special jug (jarro) to mix the ingredients and create froth.  The designs are often created using dark accents burned into the wood.